Oakham Town Council Deputation 14/11/2016
Oakham Town Council recommended refusal of the Library extension in September on the basis of; lack of future expansion opportunities, inadequate parking for staff , concerns over visitor drop off points.
National agreed policy for building work in conservation areas appears not to apply now, which is not in keeping with the Oakham Town Plan and this would set a precedent for future applications moving forward if the correct decision to refuse is now overturned.
Rutland County Council also refused the application in line with planning guidelines. Unless there are undisclosed, significant reasons, this decision should not be overturned. RCC Councillors, represent residents, and the views and opinions of these residents should be taken into consideration and other unrelated polices should not be allowed to cloud the issue.
The majority of residents applauded the decision to refuse this application and it is now echoing in the streets of the Town, being spoken about in the coffee shops and written about in our own local papers; why is this decision being re-visited.
Car parking in the original planning application has illustrated that people will have to use several already overstretched Town Centre Car Parks and cross busy roads to reach the site. There are no safe, controlled pedestrian crossing points from those locations to the library. There is not an appropriate location for a safe drop off point, congestion and a traffic, pedestrian risk is already a concern at other schools and this is a very busy Street.
The county Council have constantly reviewed and instigated various traffic controls in the area, is all that to be undermined by now adding to the congestion that will follow? The location of a play area in a congested Town centre where such a concentration of exhaust fumes suggests that welfare should be a consideration as an addition for refusal as well.
Residents concerns over noise from a play area which is within 6 metres of their homes rather than the suggested 30 metres should not be drowned out now by bureaucracy. The peaceful garden adjacent to the site where even the County Council employees are known to capture a moment of rest and relaxation at lunch time would no longer be a sanctuary.
The Town Councillors and the people of Oakham who we represent supported and applauded the decision to reject this application. The Town Councillors and the people of Oakham support the elected RCC Oakham Wards Councillors in upholding the original decision and we are asking other RCC Councillors to also now reject the planning application.
Thank You.
